Chapter 14
"He's out there again," Mary's co-worker Judy Kresge announced as she glanced through the front window from their shared desk area in the offices of Barrett and Cross where the two held entry-level positions as newly hired legal secretaries. Both women looked over to the right and spotted Officer Francis Reagan as he entered through the glass doors to make his now-daily gift deposit at the front desk in the lobby while on his meal break from the local precinct. Thus far his modest presents had consisted of a card, a box of fancy chocolates and a single favorite flower in a vase.
"I wonder what it is this time? That makes four days in a row. Should I call the police?"
"Judy, he is the police," Mary tutted with a heavy sigh as she glanced at her hand where a ring should be and vowed that the apparent peace offering, whatever it was, would wind up unopened or unappreciated in the trash along with the previous three.
"Well, obviously, I know that," her likewise single friend ignored the barb and took a deep breath in reply as she continued to let her dreamy eyes linger on the smartly dressed, tall and handsome young officer who quickly turned heel to offer a familiar tilted-head smile, eyebrow lift and nod to the two women with a twinkle in his eyes for his beloved as he clutched his patrol cap to his chest in an exaggerated fashion before taking his leave and pausing to place it on his head while readjusting the fit once he stepped outside.
"But who doesn't love a man in uniform… especially one that looks like that?"
"I don't," Mary gritted and tried to sound convincing even as she watched with undeniable longing through the window as he walked down the street with a brisk step before disappearing around the corner. "What is it this time?" she unsuccessfully feigned disinterest when Judy returned from quickly retrieving the item.
"I don't know, but this one's addressed to me!" Judy gushed as her fingers made short work of stripping the fancy wrapping paper off the small box without a thought to ask permission from her friend first. "Oh my gosh! Mary, look at these! Tickets for tomorrow night to 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' at the St. James Theatre on West 44th! Front balcony seats! They're like impossible to get right now! We could never afford them on what we make here! It just won two Tony's including one for best musical!" she added excitedly before quickly searching through the enclosed material looking for a further explanation. "I've been dying to see it!"
"A rock opera based on a Shakespearean comedy about a man named Valentine who leaves a girl in his homeland, falls in love with another and plots to win her hand… all of which can be summed up by saying it's easy to forget you're in love when the person isn't literally standing in front of you," Mary deadpanned with a sniff as she considered the parallels with her own situation and had no doubt in her mind that a certain former suitor was up to something with all of this. "Broadway Frank Reagan," she recited his newly assigned playboy nickname with a contemptuous edge to her voice as news of his recent exploits had filtered back to her over the course of the past few months. "I suppose he thinks I'm just going to swoon over that."
"No," Judy clarified as she quickly read the attached note and visibly deflated. "It says here that he always promised you a night out on the town and a play, and that you still deserve one even if it's not with him. You're supposed to take the tickets and use them as you wish. He addressed this one to me because he was afraid that you would throw them out without looking first like everything else," she stated while glancing up with major disappointment evident since more than a small part of her had honestly hoped that Frank had indeed turned his attention her way instead, and barring that her elation over being invited out for an exciting evening had just been squashed by the doubtful look on her friend's face. "He said he won't bother you anymore, but that he's transferred to the 3-5 permanently and is staying with his parents again in Bay Ridge in case you ever change your mind," she finished. "There's a phone number."
"Oh," Mary frowned as she reached for the letter and skimmed over it once more, noting that there were a few more details included that made it clear the next move was hers alone. "Well, if he expects me to feel bad that he's made this grand gesture and spent a week's pay on these seats so that I'll forget everything and call him back; he's got another thing coming," she vowed and reached into her purse for an address book.
###
"Uh-oh, Oreos," Eddie lamented in a singsong voice as she reached over to smack Jamie's arm as a preemptive warning in case he was ever tempted to take the same route after a fight.
"Something tells me that your mom wasn't gullible enough to fall for that."
"Doubtful," Jamie acknowledged as he blew out a breath and considered his mother's likely reaction to that kind of backhanded manipulation. "She would have taught him a lesson," he decided. "Dad always said she was smarter than him and knew when any of us were up to something like she had eyes in the back of her head. After all that, he didn't really expect her to call him to go out that night, did he?" he asked his grandfather.
"Oh, no, and he was prepared if she didn't… or so he thought," Henry agreed. "But when it came to Mary, Francis was always a little off his game. He had done a bit of recon by that point and knew she wasn't seeing anyone seriously, certainly no one that would think a Shakespearean musical was a fun date, and he had heard that her friend was a known Broadway buff, so he assumed that because Judy had those tickets in her hand with short notice Mary would do the logical thing and invite her for a girls' night out. He actually bought a third seat a few rows back in the same section hoping that once they got there, he could sweet talk this other woman into moving and let him sit by Mary, and because she would never make a scene in public he would have at least half the play before intermission to work his magic next to her in person."
"But that didn't happen?" Eddie surmised.
"Nope," Henry confirmed as he sat back while a little smile played out on his lips as he remembered his daughter-in-law's guff which mirrored Betty's own and was also now reflected in Jamie's wife… evidently, Reagan men required a strong woman at their side. "At least not at first. Mary Margaret O'Donnell was nobody's fool, and like Jamie said, she set out to teach Francis a lesson that day he would never forget. Someone probably had to sweep his jaw up off the floor when she walked in that night with her hair up, dressed to the nines and…"
###
...on the arm of another man.
Frank blinked hard—twice—the instant he spotted them together before his heart fell to the bottom of his patent leather-covered toes while he stood in shock, dressed in his finest suit and hiding in the shadows near the curtains behind the balcony seating. There she was, his beautiful Mary Margaret, almost near enough to touch as he longed to do when she brushed by too close for comfort in the aisle aside her attentive and equally well-dressed, cultured-looking date, laughing and simply radiant in a vintage gray faux mink stole layered over a navy-blue gown that tastefully accentuated every aspect of her gorgeous figure.
He had never felt so utterly in love and puddled at the same time in his entire life.
Stunned by the unforeseen turn of events, Frank remained frozen in place while the couple was seated in the center of the front row by the usher, appearing completely comfortable in one another's company as this stranger's hand dared slip down to the small of her back while helping her off with the wrap almost as an afterthought. He remained still and unable to move even as the young man turned and made his way back up the passage with the garment in his hands and pointedly smiled back, almost as if he knew who he was and expected him to be there before hanging it neatly on the coat rack not two feet away, the subtle scent of Mary's favorite perfume striking Frank like a blow.
"Evening," this handsome interloper greeted him before returning to the seat next to his Mary as the two continued their friendly banter along with a bit of light hugging and giggling like two young lovers while they were waiting for the show to start. Frank was certain he would become physically ill if he witnessed any further contact between them and had just made up his mind to leave, but before that could happen, the usher appeared next to his side and after demanding a look at his ticket impatiently waved him towards his center seat before the performance could start. Still numb and unwilling to cause a scene that would no doubt reveal his presence to Mary, he determined the best course of action was to remain where he was and then quickly leave at the first intermission. Unfortunately, once again that effort was thwarted by the two older woman who had bookended him in the middle of the row and were slow to stand when the lights came back up. With a panicked look akin to that of a deer trapped in the headlights, for one brief instant he considered throwing himself over the seat in front of him and army crawling out of there on his hands and knees, but it was too late as Mary turned with her escort and their eyes locked on one another from not six feet away.
In that instant, and with that one look, Francis Xavier Reagan knew he had been played and his knees almost buckled in relief.
"Frank," came her even, icy, drawn-out acknowledgment with not a hint surprise at his presence there, and he swore a satisfied smile even edged the corner of her exquisite lips as she took in his shaken state. "Imagine seeing you here."
"Mary Margaret," he managed to croak out as the balcony emptied around leaving them isolated in the space… just the three of them. "Ahem… well, you look lovely this evening," he added in a vast understatement as he was sure there was no other woman in the hall, or hell, perhaps on the entire eastern seaboard right now who could challenge her for that honor.
"Thank you," she replied politely and wrapped her arm tightly around her date's elbow to goad him one step further before finally showing mercy and letting him off the hook. "You remember Thomas, my cousin from Albuquerque who is attending NYU as a theatre major. He has a small stand-in role in the fourth act tonight and should be leaving to prepare for it."
"Oh, uh, no… I mean I don't believe we've had the pleasure," Frank stuttered out as they made their way down the now-cleared rows to the aisle. "Nice to meet you," he added and extended his hand, his pulse thudding in relief at that admission.
"Likewise," the young man smirked and returned the favor with a nod towards Mary, obviously in on the joke and play-acting, for want of a better word, the entire time. "And I believe my work for the evening is done, at least up here," he added as he took her hand up to his lips and gave it a light kiss with an exaggerated bow to the lady. "I must get into costume. Lovely as always, cousin," he offered before taking his leave. "I'll meet you if necessary after the curtain."
"Break a leg tonight, Thomas!" she laughed and called after him, before turning a smug look on Frank as he reached for her arm and she conceded with a sniff after a pause.
"You knew I was going to be here the whole time didn't you, Mary Margaret," he chided as he escorted her out to the hallway, his heart now lighter with her at his side and the full knowledge that she had come expecting to see him, although the end game was hardly a given yet as he could still clearly read her apprehension.
"Of course, I did, Frank," she admitted with a peevish glance. "If nothing else your aftershave gave it away tonight. My eyes were watering; you really must learn to cut back on the Bay Rum when you're in a tight public space."
"Then why did you come with your cousin?" he asked gently as they stopped in a quiet corner to talk and he turned her to face him, getting directly to the point with the hope of hashing things out now that he had the chance. "To teach me a lesson?"
"Yes, but that wasn't the only reason."
"Then, what?" he searched. "You said you're planning on leaving tonight with him? But you're here with me now, Mary Margaret… you wanted to see me again, didn't you?" he implored, praying with every fiber of his being that was the other point. "Please, sweetheart... tell me that's the truth."
"I did, but now I honestly don't trust myself... Thomas promised to see me home if necessary," she stuttered out sadly, growing flustered with having to admit to planning an escape route from the man she once loved with all her soul as she leaned against the wall looking down at the ground while still holding his hand. "I… I wanted to talk to you, Frank... I thought I could do this because I've missed you so much, but after all that's happened, I don't know if I can go through it again… this just hurts too much," she paused, and he could feel the weight of her sadness at what had been left between them. "I think maybe I came to say goodbye, instead," she whispered with regret. "Why did you do this?"
"I needed to see you again too," he affirmed. "Look at me, Mary Margaret," he added and gently nudged her chin up so she met his eyes with tears evident and it nearly shattered his heart to see reflected back how badly her trust in him was broken. "Please, honey, don't give up on us yet," he begged. "I know what I did to you during this past year cannot be forgiven no matter what reasons were behind it. I don't even understand them myself, but it was wrong… I hurt you, and I'm ashamed because of that. I wasn't the same after…" he paused and left the rest of that unsaid as he looked up at the ceiling as the lump in his throat grew. "I tried to be someone I wasn't since then... I think because I felt guilty that I got to come home, and he didn't."
"Oh, Frank," Mary looked up at him with renewed sympathy at that admission. "That's not what Gerry would have wanted. He was your best friend; he loved you."
"I know, but what he did for me… seeing that messed me up for a while," Frank admitted as he stared down and nervously toed the ground. "He was having a hard time over there right before it happened... there was no one else for him and all he had to talk about every night while I was thinking about you and reading your letters was how he was going to buy that damn Chevelle, and he never got to do that. It took me a while to realize that no matter what I did, it wouldn't bring him back… the car, pushing you and my parents away, acting like some kind of stupid womanizing urban cowboy behind a badge… it was all part of that. I'm working on changing now though; I want you to know that. Please, I have no right to ask, but just give me one more chance, Mary Margaret, and let me show you it's true. I know I've made promises before and have broken every single one of them, but this time is different, and I'll do anything… I swear. I've already moved home to Bay Ridge, quit going out after work, I'm back at church with Mom and Dad, and he got me transferred to the 3-5 so I could get away from that other life. I'll sell the damn car tomorrow or push it into the river if you just say the word…"
"Frank, I don't want you to do that to try to prove something to me. I just don't know if things can work between us again," Mary admitted sadly even though her heart cried otherwise and ached to be wrapped in his strong arms again.
"Can we try? Please, sweetheart? Let's just start over from right here tonight, and if I ever disappoint you in any way, tell me to leave, and I'll never bother you again," he vowed sincerely. "I've missed you, Mary Margaret, you're the only true love I've ever known," he added in a low voice as he drew her closer while his head dropped down towards hers and he breathed in her sweet scent in like a tonic for his soul until after another moment's hesitation he felt her give in as her lips came up to seek his once more for a small, teasing, glorifying, exhilarating moment that set a wave of fireworks off in his brain before she pulled away again.
"I'm afraid I don't usually kiss a gentleman on a first date unless it's goodnight at the doorway," she whispered coyly as she took his hand and led him back towards the balcony once more. "C'mon, Frank… it's almost time for our second act to start."
###
"Wow, I can't believe after all that it actually worked… Shakespeare, huh? Way to go, Dad," Jamie huffed in admiration for his father as he continued to lay and snuggle with his only true love. "This one would be so much easier though," he conceded with a smirk to his grandfather. "Two-for-one wing night at O'Sullivan's would probably do the trick," he teased as Eddie giggled back knowing he was probably not too far off course.
"Throw in a couple of beers, and I would have let you keep the car," she teased. "Wait, she did… I mean obviously," she added as her brow furrowed and she considered the ramifications that had brought some forty years later. "How'd that happen?"
"Never figured it out... officially... probably not something Betty and I ever wanted to know," Henry admitted with a chuckle at that understatement. "All we heard was that by the end of the play when the curtains went down that night Francis and Mary were together again, and this time they never looked back. He was down on one knee a few months later, and they were husband and wife in less than a year in a small ceremony with a reception here in the backyard because they couldn't afford anything else. Her parents weren't well off, and didn't really approve of Mary's choice in a cop. The kids didn't want to burden them or accept our help… and, the rest, as they say, is history," he added with great satisfaction.
"Wait... officially?" Eddie perked up as she caught him trying to slide that past them. "You know something else, don't you? Spill, old man!" she demanded as she raised up on one elbow to back that up with a daring glare.
"Let's just say a certain, unconfirmed report wound up on my desk the next day because someone used one of my courtesy cards when they were caught parked by the river in a steamed up blue Chevelle. I never told his mother though. She had just gotten Francis and Mary back, and it would have killed her."
"POP!" Jamie cried as he instantly blushed while picturing his parents once more in that light and Eddie snickered back as he sat himself up in apparent unease and swung his legs over the side of the hammock.
"What? At least it wasn't in Betty's Studebaker that time."
"STOP! Too much information!" Jamie huffed with a pained look at his wife, wanting nothing more than to plug his ears and hum "la, la, la" before another word could be said as the sexual tension between them had been bubbling up for months now as they waited to be one again, and any mention of something like that when they were so close was enough to push him embarrassingly over the proverbial edge. "What's with this family?!" he added, grabbing a pillow in front of him for modesty. "First the fireplace and now the car? Please, God, tell me that's not how we ended up with Danny, and don't give this one any more ideas!" he warned as he saw the wheels turning in his wife's head. "I'm going upstairs to take a shower and cool off!"
Poor Jamie, he's had a rough start to the weekend, and it's only going to get worse over the next few chapters as the Reagan family gathers together as a whole once more to celebrate Father's Day and remember the past as this walk down memory lane continues while they wait for very different news on several fronts and a few more family secrets are revealed.